Ron Artest scored 19 points and Yao grabbed 10 rebounds and went 12-for-13 from the free throw line for the Rockets, who played their fourth straight game without Tracy McGrady. The seven-time All-Star is out three weeks with a sore left knee.

Houston went 31-for-39 from the foul line – 12-for-14 in the last six minutes – to beat the Clippers for the seventh straight time.

Al Thornton scored 24 and Zach Randolph had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who've dropped six of seven road games this season.

The Rockets led most of the way, but Thornton flew in for a dunk with 3:23 left to cut the lead to 95-89.

Yao, guarded by the shorter Randolph most of the game, flipped in a turnaround 20 seconds later and Houston put away the game away from the line.

Yao hit his first two shots, but the rest of the Rockets missed 12 of their first 15. Yao also started 8-for-8 from the line to help Houston build an early lead.

Clippers point guard Baron Davis left the game late in the first quarter with apparent food poisoning, the team said. He scored four points in 10 minutes before he was replaced by Eric Gordon.

Randolph carried the Clippers' offense, scoring 18 in the first half. The Rockets continued to shoot poorly from the field in the second quarter, but led 53-46 at the break after going 17-for-21 from the line.

Davis started the third quarter, but Artest and Alston sank consecutive 3-pointers and the Rockets quickly pushed their lead to 15.

The Clippers answered with a 9-0 run to trim the deficit back to six. Later in the quarter, Davis sank a 3-pointer and Randolph scored inside to pull Los Angeles to within two.

Davis had five assists and the Clippers shot 60 percent (12-of-20) in the third quarter to trail only 77-76. Carl Landry and Shane Battier scored inside on consecutive trips early in the fourth to extend Houston's lead again.

The Rockets led 87-83 when Yao returned after a rest with 6:07 remaining, and Houston never lost the lead.

Notes:@ Houston has won 19 of the last 22 meetings with the Clippers. ... Clippers C Chris Kaman sat out for the third straight game with a strained left arch. Coach Mike Dunleavy said that Kaman would probably miss "another week to 10 days." ... Rockets G Steve Francis was activated for the first time this season, but did not play. ... The Clippers are off to their worst start since opening the 1998-99 season with 17 straight losses.